Breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP) is a molecular determinant of the outcome of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for centrally located early lung cancer

• Published in: Lung cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 198 - 204
• Main Authors: Usuda, Jitsuo, Tsunoda, Yoshihiko, Ichinose, Shuji, Ishizumi, Taichirou, Ohtani, Keishi, Maehara, Sachio, Ono, Shoutarou, Tsutsui, Hidemitsu, Ohira, Tatsuo, Okunaka, Tetsuya, Furukawa, Kinya, Sugimoto, Yoshikazu, Kato, Harubumi, Ikeda, Norihiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-02-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family G, Member 2; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - genetics; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP); Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Centrally located early lung cancer; Dihematoporphyrin Ether - pharmacology; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - genetics; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - genetics; Lung Neoplasms - metabolism; Male; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; Photochemotherapy; Photodynamic therapy (PDT); Photosensitizing Agents - pharmacology; Pneumology; Porphyrins - pharmacology; Pulmonary/Respiratory; Tumors; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum; Breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP); Photodynamic therapy (PDT); Lung cancer; Centrally located early lung cancer; Lung disease; Breast disease; Photodynamic therapy; Prognosis; Respiratory disease; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Protein A; Mammary gland diseases; Cancerology; Treatment; Bronchus disease; Early; Cancer; Pneumology
• ISSN: 0169-5002; 1872-8332
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2009.04.002

Abstract The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter protein, BCRP (breast cancer resistance protein)/ABCG2 pumps out some types of photosensitizers used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and causes resistance to the antitumor effect of PDT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the expression of BCRP and the efficacy of PDT using Photofrin, or the second-generation photosensitizer, NPe6, for centrally located early lung cancers. Using human epidermoid carcinoma cells, A431 cells and the BCRP-overexpressing A431/BCRP cells, we examined the effects of BCRP expression on the effect of PDT by cell viability assay in vitro , and investigated the expression of BCRP by immunohistochemical analysis in 81 tumor samples obtained from patients with centrally located early lung cancers. The A431/BCRP cells were more resistant to Photofrin-PDT than A431 cells in vitro , and Fumitremorgin C, a specific inhibitor of BCRP, reversed the resistance. However, there was no significant difference in the antitumor effect of NPe6-PDT between these cells. All of the 81 centrally located early lung cancer lesions were BCRP-positive (2+, 45 lesions; 1+, 30 lesions) and all the patients were male and heavy smokers (>30 pack-years). The expression of BCRP significantly affected the efficacy of Photofrin-PDT in cancer lesions ≥10 mm in diameter ( P = 0.04). On the other hand, NPe6-PDT exhibited a strong antitumor effect, regardless of the expression status of BCRP. Photofrin may be a substrate of BCRP and be pumped out from the cells, therefore, BCRP may be a molecular determinant of the outcome of Photofrin-PDT.